Since taking over as police chief in January, Brian Kilcullen has made it his duty to attend neighborhood association meetings.

And he wants his officers, who patrol the streets of this 11-square-mile city of roughly 66,135 residents, to make it their business to spend more time getting to know the neighborhoods and people they are charged with serving and protecting.

"I'm enjoying being part of a big change with the department and its relationship with the community," said Kilcullen during a wide-ranging recent interview where he outlined his vision for this once-beleaguered police force that over the years has worked to clean up its act and restore public faith.

"We want the confidence of City Hall, residents, and leaders of the community, that we're providing a valuable service."

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She recalled how he shared his crime-fighting strategies at a meeting of the Schenectady Neighborhood Watch, an umbrella group of neighborhood groups in the city.

"Brian has been very supportive of the neighborhood watch," said Lee, who lives with her husband, Fred Lee, on Stanley Street. "I like what he's doing and have noticed an improvement."

The chief said he is confident the department's problems with a handful of rogue cops is in the past and that the officers on the force now will think twice about how their behavior in and out of uniform could affect the 138-member department and city.

But just after giving those statements during an interview with the Times Union, Schenectady Detective John Hotaling was charged last week with two counts of misdemeanor menacing for allegedly pointing a gun at motorists during a road rage incident April 7 in Glenville.

"Despite our best efforts to send a strong message that we will not tolerate any degree of misconduct, we're faced with another situation that brings discredit to the department," Kilcullen said when news of Hotaling's arrest broke. Hotaling is on unpaid leave pending an internal department investigation.

Referring to arrests of officers, mostly for off-duty problems, Kilcullen said before Hotaling's charges:

"The answer to any question when it comes to making decisions is to keep in the back of your mind what's best for the department and the city in our mission to provide the level of service the public expects from us," the chief said.

He lamented that his street cops are often so busy responding to emergency calls that they are unable to spend more time interacting with residents.

"Even though there might not be a high priority citywide issue, it's a high priority for that particular neighborhood, and that's what our community patrol officers need to address," he added.

Kilcullen said his top priority is cutting crime through a variety of strategies, including the analysis of crime and motor vehicle crashes to pinpoint hot spots that are then saturated with police officers, said Kilcullen, 48. He describes it as "smart policing."

"We're having a visible presence in a particular area and conducting enforcement at that time as opposed to conducting some sort of long-term investigation," said Kilcullen, who earns $132,968 per year.

The chief said he is also committed to working closely with other city departments to improve the quality of life in the Electric City. He cited two programs that aim to do that by targeting residents and businesses who allow their property to fall into disrepair and are in violation of building codes.

The chief also plans to start holding monthly meetings to ensure that his message on critical issues to the department gets out accurately to every member of the department.

"One of the things I want to work on is to enhance communication from the top to the bottom so everybody gets the same message," he said.

While Kilcullen contends it's not his style to micromanage, he is not shy about doing what he has to do if one of his commanders is not doing their job.

The chief credits his predecessor, Mark Chaires, with exposing him to various administrative jobs when Kilcullen was assistant chief. That made the transition easier when Kilcullen was elevated to chief in January.

He also pointed to his roots in Schenectady.

"These are people I've seen today in this job that I've known for 40 years," said Kilcullen. "It's helped me because I'm not a new face."

Chaires said Kilcullen's character and intelligence are assets.

"He wants to do the right thing for the department to move forward," said Chaires. "He's adept at working with the politicians and comfortable with the media."

Outside police headquarters, the married father of one said he relaxes by skiing, playing basketball and spending time with his family on weekends. He says he spends his weeknights at his childhood home in Schenectady, a way to appease Mayor Gary McCarthy, who required city residency for the job. On weekends, he is at his home in Milton.

Kilcullen, who joined the department in February 1994, was promoted to sergeant in 1998 and lieutenant in 2001. As lieutenant, he also served as the department's public information officer before becoming assistant chief in 2008.